What’s Your Handbag Roman Empire?

The modern digital age, specifically TikTok, is directly responsible for many things. While the list goes on and on, one of the major advents of this new wave of media is viral trends that create new meanings out of the simplest of things.

Remember the ick? Don’t worry if you don’t, it doesn’t matter anymore. The ick is so 2023.

This year, it’s all about the Roman Empire—not that Roman Empire. The Roman Empire trend simply refers to something you think about all the time. It originated from TikTok girlfriends and wives asking their male partners how often they thought about the Roman Empire. Funnily enough, the unanimous answer was a lot.

It was then that a person’s ‘Roman Empire’ became something that someone always thinks about. The trend quickly picked up steam, with accounts from every niche (think food, wellness, and yes, fashion) sharing their Roman Empire.

No AI, algorithms, divisive politics, or infighting. Social media as it should be ARE our Roman Empire. But let’s have a little fun with it.

What’s Your Handbag Roman Empire?

Be it a specific bag, designer or collection, I can almost bet that we all have our own handbag Roman Empire. Me? It’s safe to say I have many, but the first thing that comes to mind is a 2000s icon: the Dior Newsprint Saddle Bag by John Galliano.

It lives in my head rent-free. It’s one of those extremely rare collector’s pieces that I know I’ll likely never own but that I often dream of scoring for an insane price at an estate sale or finding one online that is not $25K. There’s just something about it that I will never get over. I think about it a lot, truly.

What’s your handbag Roman Empire?

Bottega top knot clutch in exotic @monroesteele